Sooze

Monkeying around

2010-03-13T08:58:00.000+11:00

I sit at my computer with a cheeky monkey under my chair having a whine because I just took my computer cable away from her and she's quite annoyed. Katelyn loves to chew things. Her most favourite thing of all is ANY kind of cable that is hopefully connected to a power point! EEEEEEEEK! It is near impossible to have a room that does not have some form of cord in it. Fans, heaters, computers, TV etc. and her most favourite of all...the Vacuum cleaner! We have managed to conceal most of the cords around the house but she's no fool, she knows exactly where and what they are hidden behind and gets into all sorts of positions trying to squeeze herself behind the sofa, TV cabinet or even under the bed!

When she was little(er) Katelyn used to cry whenever I turned on the vacuum. I just couldn't do it without tears streaming down her face. Now? She thinks its a competition to see who can shout the loudest the whole time it is on! (I have to join in or its just no fun) and if I haven't immobilised her, its a race to get around the room without her latching onto the cord and often coming along for a ride as I try to snatch it out of her reach moments too late!

Now the little rascal is under the table laughing hysterically at me to try and get my attention. I think perhaps we are overdue for a nap! I'll be right back!

I recently went through a HUGE dilemma about whether or not I should sleep train my little cherub. It was really hard to decide whether it was necessary and although I was quite happy the way things were, I figured that learning to fall asleep on her own was an invaluable skill to have! It certainly wasn't an easy decision to make but once I had made it I had to stick to my guns. I came home from town one day and put her to bed and that was it. I got on Skype with my sister Jane (Thanks for all your help and support I could never have done it without you) and drank a huge glass of red wine whilst I listened to the sound of my heart breaking.

It was a fairly short process with a few minor set backs and tears from both Katelyn and I, but she now knows how to go to sleep on her own. I almost feel useless now as nap times and bed times come along and I put little Katelyn in her cot with her music and light show and close the door. She plays and sings until she is asleep and I am left standing in the middle of the house wondering what on earth to do! Don't get me wrong, I have plenty to do, I am just not used to having the spare time to do it all and don't know where to start. I often make a cup of tea and put on the news while I decide where to begin, and before I know it nap time is over and I get to play again!

The cold weather has arrived early this year and I find myself strangely looking forward to winter. I suppose after the intolerable heat we have had, there is something inviting about wrapping up in front of the fire with a hot chocolate and marshmallows, not to mention cuddling my squirmy worm with the hopes that one day she will be happy to sit still and cuddle me back for a few minutes. I fear (for my Mother) that we are going to have a very cold winter this year. The Soozeometer even predicts snow (at our house not just on the mountain tops.) -Sorry Mummy, but don't worry the snow won't come until July, you might just be a little chilly in April/May but Neil promises to stock up on the firewood before you arrive!-

Now that the possum has fallen asleep I am going to make a cup of tea and watch the news to see if I can muster the energy and motivation to do something productive! Then again, its the weekend!

liar liar pants on fire!

2010-03-03T10:52:00.000+11:00

So at my last early childhood clinic my midwife casually asked if Katelyn and I had been vaccinated for swine flu yet. I scoffed (inwardly) and said that I don't like the idea of something that hasn't been around long enough to be proven safe, and besides, I ALWAYS get sick from the regular flu vac. I also stated that surely Katelyn has enough going on in her little body with the usual vaccines and I didn't think that it was desined for babies! She said "Piffle!" and "its just a shot you won't even notice it so off you go."

ANYWAY after a few more stories about us dying from Swine flu in the upcoming winter and blah blah blah, I went to the surgery and tried to book us in to get it done.

First dubious moment: The receptionist confirms that the vaccine is just for me hey? When I say no for both of us, she tries to conceal a concerned look and hands over some disclaimer forms and an information sheet.

DISCLAIMER FORMS??? HELLO?

Dubious moments 2, 3 4 and 5 come from the info sheet....not for people allergic to eggs, swelling and irritation at the site of the needle, links to some disease that I have never heard of but apparently getting that is better than getting swine flu (WHAT??!?!?!) and this gorgeous HAPPY little girl playing on my lap giggling and the other kids in the room.

Right so in we go to the nurses station. She asks me if I am sure I want to vaccinate my 7 month old baby. Hang on. I thought that was what I was MEANT to do. So she says that she doesn't want to sway me one way or another, that is it my choice and they have done a FEW babies but not many, and "THEY" recommend that anyone over the age of 6 months should be vaccinated.

Well....isn't that a diplomatic way of quietly screaming "DON'T DO IT!!"

I asked who "THEY" were, only to be told that "THEY" are the government. Right, so not doctors then.

I asked for a personal opinion, but as you can guess they won't give me one. Then suddenly, here it came, MASSIVE WARNING BELLS, "you may have to hang around for half an hour afterwards to make sure she doesn't go into anaphalactic (sp?) shock."

EXCUUUUUUUUUUUUSE ME? You can step away from my precious child with that poison thank you very much!

Anyway, I was here now and I had just wasted 30 mins of these ladies time trying to get them to TELL ME, that it wasn't a good idea, and that the under 10's vaccine has only been out for a month with a few incidents that are somehow kept out of the papers and the public ear! So I figured I had better let them jab me, and that Katelyn would get her antibodies from me, even though we are so isolated the chances of contracting the piggy flu are very slim, but it was too late.

An hour later walking around town my arm tingled and I went to feel it. It felt a big tingly and numb, so I looked over and saw this THING attached to my arm, I just about swatted it of when I realised that it WAS my arm! Just a huge big swelling protruding from where she had stuck me with the needle. I headed straight for the pharmacy and got to a chair just in time before I felt like I was going to black out. I instantly had a massive migraine and felt ROUGH!
My friendly chemist Amal (I think..I may have been calling him the wrong name) said that I was about to get really ill over the next few weeks as, of course, I had been injected with a virus. Duh! Well why won't they admit that at the surgery instead of telling me not to be a baby and I'll be fine and that its all in my head or a coincidence when I get sick from the usual vaccine! SO now I sit and wait to be hit by a lovely bout of internal swine flu. Yippee! Fingers crossed my reaction yesterday was all I will get but Amal was almost positive he'd being seeing me in 7 days time to prescribe some lovely dugs for me. At least the upside is we have a caring chemist and don't have to pay 58 dollars to go see a doctor to be told we have a cold!

Anyway I have rambled on enough, I just needed to vent, so thank you for your ears (or eyes) and THANKGOODNESS I didn't poison my baby with this ridiculous "Vaccination"

ps..please excuse my shocking spelling, my fingers move too fast for my brain!

Mum's Cold

2010-02-20T11:54:00.003+11:00

Once upon a time we used to make fun of my Mother. "Mum's cold, put on a jersey" we used to say. Our mother has always been a fairly cold person, she was always trying to get us to put on another layer or turn up the heating. It used to be a huge joke in our household, and now, the tables have turned and I understand EXACTLY where she was coming from.

Katelyn is a very hot baby. She is always warm and cosy. At night when I pull the duvet up to my ears trying to keep warm and cosy, I jump up, run into her room and put another blanket on her. Without fail the next time she wakes up she'll be sweating, poor thing! There is just something about putting a baby to bed and pulling up the covers to tuck them in. Even when its 30 degrees outside!

I would spend all night getting up and either pulling covers off or putting them on according to how I was feeling at the time. (it doesn't help that the temperatures seem to change so much through the night either!) To try and put a stop to this madness, I went on-line and bought her a new sleeping bag that brags it is all a baby needs all night, all year round. You just have to gauge what they wear underneath as the seasons change. It is supposed to keep them cool in summer and cosy in winter. (Provided the room temp is between 18 and 24 degrees) It does work, however, I"M Cold, so I chuck another blanket over the top. Poor baby, I think she has just learned to deal with the fact that she will sweat no matter what! I bet she can't wait for winter!

Katelyn in her sleeping bag

On another note my cheeky little monkey is dragging herself all over the place now. If she sees something she wants she'll go get it, leopard crawling with all arms and legs moving at pace (not actually getting there as fast as she's moving of course!)She is so amazing how quickly she learns and picks things up, we really need to be careful what we do in front of her as she has already learned to open cupboards and draws and to flick the switch on the plug sockets! (EEEK!) Luckily our lounge is sunken and she can't get into any other rooms, I can sort of contain her and clear the area- until she starts climbing then we will have a whole new dilemma on our hands with stairs and tiles!!!

it's a new dawn, it's a new day,

2010-01-15T08:06:00.007+11:00

This stunning picture of the valley in front of my house, finally inspired me to blog again! I have been thinking of so many things to write and never getting round to it! Rainbows represent the end of a storm and I guess you could say a new beginning. Now metaphorically we haven't had any storms and I suppose the new beginning is just a fresh view on everyday life! That, and I just wanted to share this picture.

A month ago we we burning hot (Literally) and everything was dead and dry as you can see below. (This is also Neil's new round yard he bought for breaking in his horses..we still have to fill it with sand and put rubber around the inside)
There was talk about cancelling the next tournament and fears of the creek running completely dry and leaving us without water to pump for our home and animals.

Then, suddenly the heavens opened and didn't stop until they gave us what you see now..the same view only a few weeks later. I still cannot believe what a little bit of water can do! Even though we are surrounded by long green grass and water flows in the creek again, they are now calling it a "green drought". fingers crossed we will keep having our daily afternoon storms to get us out of the red.

I know I still have so much more to write but my little possum has just woken from her nap and I have made myself a promise to give her my full attention when she is awake and try to get things done around the house when she is sleeping. We are currently working on our sign language. I am slowly introducing signs to her, I need to perfect them myself and then will try to use them every time we see something or do something that I know the signs for. I can already see how this will improve her language even if she doesn't pick up the signs. (which of course she will, she is a little smarty pants and very attentive) If we weren't learning signs I am sure I would never have thought to be so repetitive and focused on simple words, facing her and saying the words slowly will also show her how to shape her mouth to pronounce the words and with any luck she'll get so sick of me repeating things over and over she'll just say them to keep me quiet!

ps I don't think she is far off crawling either then I will definitely not get anything done while she is awake!

Sleep n stuff

2009-12-02T17:18:00.002+11:00

I am so over people talking about sleep cycles and teaching babies to sleep at certain times for a certain length of time and by themselves...I rarely get to bed at the same time every night, some days I don't need a nap and some days I need two! So who am I to dictate to Katelyn when she should be tired and when she should to be awake and I am CERTAINLY NOT going to wake her up if she's sleeping when its meant to be playtime! Since when are mothers expected to treat their children like robots? It is just ridiculous. Granted we can have a tough time when they don't sleep when we want them to or they wake up 8 times in one night and just laugh and play with their toes when they see you, (yes Katelyn is a little ratbag but such a cute one!)but that is the way of life when you have children and it only lasts a short time in relation to your whole life so why can't we just go with the flow?
I break all the "RULES" when it comes to Katelyn, and some of them I think I do just to spite those who make them just to be different.
Anyway she's slowly working out her own sleep pattern, last night we had a feed at 12 then slept till 7..heaven....tonight we may be up at 1, 3 and 6 but either way I know she can sleep all night if she is happy enough and when she wakes she probably does need something. (A lot of the time she wakes up to have a big Fluff and as you can imagine has trouble drifting back to sleep straight away..lets face it, even WE have trouble getting to sleep sometimes and if it wasn't for the evil digestive systems that babies seem to have, I'm sure she would sleep a lot better-(and if those STOOPID dogs would stop barking just when I am trying to settle her!!!)

I can't think what else I was going to write now coz the possum has woken up from her 10 minute nap and she wants to play! I'll think up some more and try taking some more photos too!

Fire

2009-11-22T16:11:00.002+11:00

Well I just thought I would keep to my latest theme of extreme weather and natural hazards! Isn't it just typical that North Western England is under water and we are hot dry and burning...literally in some places! About a week ago every thing was green and blossoming, such are the treasures of Spring...then after 4 or 5 days of 40 plus degrees everything has died off and dried up. To add insult to injury we were attacked by a fierce thunder and lightening storm that brought not a drop of rain just sparks to get the fires started! Normally I love thunder storms but Neil and I were at the windows looking out for fires most of the night and checking on the Princess, who thankfully wasn't woken by it (I don't know how! One door slammed and she's awake but a full blown thunder storm she sleeps through???)

There are now various fire's dotted around the country side and Neil, as well as most of the other Men in the area, has been called out to fight them...I don't know where he is or what time he'll be home, but hopefully they won't keep them out there all night! I have packed up a few things just in case, though most people think I'm just paranoid and that we have nothing to worry about, but I will not forget Black Saturday earlier this year when the fires swept through Victoria without warning! Sadly the eucalyptus (Gum) trees go up like petrol soaked bombs, and the Australian countryside is absolutely littered with them!

On a lighter note, little Miss Katelyn has worked out how to get off her tummy onto her side and ultimately her back! This done in one movement could be referred to as rolling! YAY.. but the point is..she hates tummy time and now knows how to get out of it!! She is also very cheeky and knows that Mummy and Daddy respond to the slightest sound! Spoilt yes, but a very happy baby none the less and I am not prepared to change that...Although we really ought to start keeping a straight face when she laughs at us when we try to put her to bed at night! We just can't resist giggling back and wanting to give her more cuddles!
She is also a complete box head! I have to turn the TV off when Neil isn't home because no matter where I lie her she manages to get into a position where she can watch her favourite show, the News!!!

stuff

2009-11-03T10:29:00.002+11:00

Well talk about extreme weather...after winds, dust and hail storms we have now experienced rapid temperature changes, from 18 degrees last week to a whopping 40 yesterday! Poor Katelyn doesn't know what to make of it..wrapped up warm one day then nudie the next!

In saying that she is loving the nudie part! When she was little....or rather littl-ER..she screamed whenever we took her clothes off for baths or changing..now she yells at me when I put her clothes back on after a nudie playtime! Its amazing just how much further they can wriggle with no clothes on and how quickly too! I'm sure the whole mobility stage (or many stages) will hit me like a storm! (I'm not really looking forward to her discovering out stairs and tiles in the lounge..this house really wasn't built with children in mind...Hopefully, growing up with such obstacles, she will learn quickly how to avoid injury...or else there'll be a gate on her room and the rest of the house out of bounds!

It is truly amazing watching her everyday, and the tiny little discoveries she makes...she's starting to grab at toys that I hold in front of her and put them straight in her mouth like all good babies do (or like Neil says, Just to annoy you! but I know its just her way of discovering things!)
I don't think she'll be too far off rolling from tummy to back, mainly because she hates being on her tummy, she just needs to learn to get her arm out the way to roll over it.
I think though her main ambition it to just get up and walk...when we hold her all she wants to do is stand and sit upright with minimal support..if we try to cradle her we get told!!!!
She is a very demanding little girl and has us right where she wants us and the only sad part is that she is becoming more and more independent every day ( HAH! to all those people who said holding her all the time would only make her clingy! I believe I have created a secure environment that she is now happy to explore outside of knowing that she'll always have me to return to when she gets unsure of things!)

Super Freaky Hail Storm

2009-10-12T10:42:00.003+11:00

Yesterday (Sunday) was the Final of the Ellerston Spring Tournament (Spring not being the operative word, we've had ghastly weather for the whole 10 days) Neil was up to play against Garangula after a great week of wins. When I left home the weather was a bit dreary but I thought we'd just have a few showers and it would clear...Boy was I wrong...
We parked up along side the field and THANKFULLY I stayed in the car with Katelyn, all the other games I have gotten out her pram and storm cover and sat in the players tent. Two minutes into the first chukka it started to rain...then a little bit of hail...then the heavens opened up and dumped a SUPER bucket load of Ice on our heads. At this point I had thrown Katelyn in her car seat after rapidly unplugging her from her feed station, and was trying to dodge my way around a stream of traffic to get under the cover of the barn...poor car..and poor Katelyn, didn't know why she was suddenly strapped in and being deafened by pelting ice on the roof of the car. We managed to get undercover just as the worst of it came down.

And POOR POOR Neil!! All I saw as I was driving away from the field was that the boys on the field had decided to call it quits but were struggling to dismount as the horses went crazy being bashed around by the hail. The result of course being that the game was called off. I wished I could have hung around and gotten my camera out but luckily someone else captured the pictures for me and these are what you can see below...

Dust

2009-09-24T09:12:00.003+10:00

This is the view down our drive on a good day....

This was the view yesterday!!

The worst thing is they think it'll all be back tomorrow!!

Big bed for a little girl!

2009-09-21T11:41:00.006+10:00

My little girl is growing up so fast. Last week, Katelyn and I drove 2 1/2 hours to a shop to buy her a cot! ( Poor thing is still too little for big drives like that without stopping to feed. She was very distraught when we got there, but luckily they have a parents corner where you can feed and change bums!)
We whizzed around the store and walked out 800 dollars later with a Tasman Eco Cot, Mattress and a lovely 6 piece bedding set, pink and purple with butterflies and mushrooms! She's a big girl going into a cot but still little enough for us to have put the cot in OUR room!! hee hee...and since the cot needs to be dismantled to move she'll probably still be in there when she is two! (Much to many people's disapproval!) I don't care what they say, she sleeps in our room, in our bed and in our arms! I am raising a happy loving child not a robot who sleeps eats and plays when its convenient for me!

oh and she is slowly trying to figure out where her thumb is, but its so hard when she holds her fist so tight around it!! She'll get there eventually!

Yesterday afternoon Nicola and I opted out of going to the polo for the afternoon. We decided it was too hot for the little ones with no shade and millions of horses and trucks all over the place. We'll take the bubs to polo when it's on here at Ellerston and we can sit in the breaky room or playground with them. So the two of us spent the afternoon at her house chatting and drinking tea and letting little Lucas and Katelyn get to know each other. I say little Lucas as he is 5 days younger than Katelyn, he's twice the size but such a cutie!

And lucky Nicola got a big smile from my little girl! She smiles for her Dad all the time but I guess Mum is boring coz she sees me all day!

Poor Baby!

2009-09-09T10:25:00.003+10:00

Yesterday I experienced one of the most heart wrenching experiences of my life! Poor little Katelyn had her 6 week vaccinations (they used to start at two months but there is a lot of whooping cough about so they have started doing it earlier!)
There she was happily playing on a bed in the surgery when two nasty nurses came and stuck a needle in each leg! I had my back turned and was crying before they even started. Then I really got going once my baby screamed out in pain! The poor, poor thing, I grabbed her and gave her the biggest cuddle and told her how brave she was but in reality the poor darling had no warning and no idea what was being done to her.

She settled again pretty quick but every so often she must have remembered, or maybe her legs still hurt, and she'd burst into tears again. I had to have her in my bed last night because she was so upset! (I'm not complaining at all, I love sleeping with my little girl in my arms) It was just so horrible not being able to explain to her what we were doing! I think she is happier today, the only thing now, is that hurting her and making her cry helped her to discover how her lungs can really work, and her cries have suddenly become a lot more vocal and distressed! Hopefully she goes back to her little squawks once the trauma is forgotten!

I cannot believe she is six weeks already! Our Doctor, who I had never seen smile before, was so entranced with her, he couldn't stop gurgling and playing with her and said he was amazed at how beautiful her eyes are (Blushing proud Mommy!)
Anyway, she is perfect and healthy in every way (apart from a pea on each thigh from the needles!) Mommy also had a vaccine for chicken pox. Another thing that the Doctor Abbot and the nurses couldn't believe was how I managed to make it this far in my life without ever having had chicken pox! ( I have the blood tests to prove it!) Hopefully, unlike the Flu Vac, this one isn't actually going to GIVE me the pox, else I might have to sue them!

Anyway, whilst the little possum still sleeps I had better get on and do my chores for the morning! I already put dinner on at 6am, BBQ pork roast in the slow cooker!! hope it turns out as good as it sounds....

ps..note to you all... if a roast comes wrapped in string....don't take off all the string before you cook it! it falls apart! oops....

Sleep Deprivation

2009-09-04T07:21:00.003+10:00

I have recently discovered that there are various causes of sleep deprivation. The first and most commonly expected when sporting a newborn, is having to get up every few hours to change a nappy and feed a starving cherub.
The second is waking up every hour in bed trying to find said cherub amongst the pillows and duvet, only to find she is in fact still in her bassinet!
The worst of all that I have suffered for the last two nights, is waking up every hour to check that my beautiful girl is still breathing because she's not woken up for a feed and my boobs really disagree with this new development!

Little Katelyn is 6 weeks old today! I know, I can hardly believe it myself...
Three nights ago we were feeding every two hours.. that's 12, 2, 4, 6, then 6:30, 7..you get the picture, she then spent the whole day wide awake and only wanted to be in my arms ( thank goodness for my sling or I would never have gotten anything done!)
That night she finally settled at 9 pm after some serious cluster feeding... I woke up at 10, then 12, the 2, and finally Katelyn decided at 3 am that she might need a top up to get her through the night! I couldn't believe it.. she'd slept for 6 hours straight. She then had a feed and went back to bed until 7!

The same sort of thing happened last night, but she had quite a few naps yesterday so I couldn't put it down to exhaustion! I guess my little girl is growing up!
I know, I know... don't get too excited because nothing lasts, but I am just so happy that she's able to sleep for longer periods....I only wish I could do the same!

Yesterday morning all the mother met at the play ground for the kids to run around and Moms to catch up on the gossip and share stories. For Katelyn and Airlie (Born 3 wks apart) it was a chance to have a feed in the fresh air and nap in their prams! Its great to get out of the house and wonderful to have such a large community of families. I never thought I'd become one of the "Mom Crowd" but I realised that once you have a baby you suddenly seem to have a lot more in common and to talk about with people!

Well its time to go and sit over Katelyn, waiting for her to need the milk bar again!

Don't drink the water!

2009-06-10T11:32:00.002+10:00

Well it appears, as much as I am NOT surprised, that I have yet again become a trend setter! Last year I decided that I was ready to have a baby. I knew of another girl who was recently married who was also talking about getting pregnant.
What do you know by the end of December it was common knowledge that I was pregnant and within a few days Aimee too had announced her news. (I must admit I was a little sore about not being the sole centre of attention, as anyone who knows me would have no trouble believing!)
Next up my dear friend Nicola who already has 3 boys was shocked to find out that she too was expecting! (Nicola and I are only 10 days apart!) I was (and still am) incredibly excited for her and knew that we would be able to share every little detail right through to the end and who knows, maybe even end up sharing a room at the hospital!

So the three of us went about our ways, being pregnant and exchanging feelings and experiences, until suddenly, just like Rice Crispies, women around us started to pop! At the last count, which was taken only last week, there were EIGHT Ellerston women all expecting within 6 months of each other! (Me first of course!)

Now one has to wonder, is it the increasing unemployment rate of females in this country? Could there have been fertility drugs injected into our water system? Do people think there is nothing better to do in a rural environment?
My answer is purely that I am such a wonderful and amazing person that everybody wants to be just like me!

All jokes aside, I think it is fantastic that (provided we all remain here) our kids will all be able to grow up with plenty of other children the same age as them in a safe rural environment(plus getting the kids together to play is a great excuse for us ladies to gasbag over a few bottles of wine!)

....oh how much I am going to enjoy that first glass of wine....
(I am hoping to share it with my Mummy and Daddy over a beautifully cooked roast leg of lamb! Dad's favourite!)

Timing is everything...

2009-05-27T16:10:00.002+10:00

Just over 8 weeks to go and this is the time you start wondering whether turning the heat up in the oven will get the cake baked quicker or ruin it...

I have chosen the middle of my third trimester to get all ambitious and start studying a Diploma of Children's Services. (way to go Sooze, you couldn't just re arrange the nursery like everyone else!)

I am very excited about this course. At the very least it will teach me how to raise and educate my own child/ren and give me a few extra skills up my sleeve for the future. If I decide to get to work as soon as i finish the course I will (providing I approach the right centre) have the luxury of being able to take my baby to work with me and put them into daycare there. I have gotten off to a flying start but now find myself waiting to be enrolled in more units before I can continue any more assignments which is rather annoying. At least I have all my reading materials so I can go ahead making notes, although I would much rather complete each unit before moving onto the next.

I have worked out a plan to dedicate my mornings fully to my studies and afternoons to relax and make the most of the very little "ME" time I have left. I do find myself working some afternoons too but that's great if I am motivated to do so. Very soon i will be finding my study time scattered around a tiny Royal Highness who will have to be on top of my priorities list!

My days have just started working into a little routine; shower, tidy up, let dogs off (maybe I walk a little with them) breakfast, study from 8 to 12, make lunch, nap till 2, let the chickens out to graze and be chased by dogs ( we don't actually allow this but sometimes the chooks get a bit too close and the dogs can't resist....and I can't control them...Neil is the boss....rofl..) watch a little TV maybe, email/skype, tea time, feed and tie up dogs, make and eat dinner, shower, tv, bed.

Hmmm kinda wonder where feed baby, change nappies, clean up baby sick, play with baby, comfort screaming baby, and OH SO MUCH MORE will fit in... well I do know one thing.. the word 'routine' won't play a part in it that's for sure!

...and a partridge in a pear tree.

2009-05-12T13:54:00.002+10:00

Yesterday on our trip home from town we pulled into a farm store and bought ourselves 4 young laying hens. We have a chicken coup out the back of our garden and decided it was high time we used it! I think the chooks will be a few weeks of laying yet, especially after the 2 hour trip home in a cardboard box on the back seat of our car! They seem to be very shy and have hardly ventured out of their box aside from grabbing some food and water and running back into hiding! I am sure in a few days they will settle down and start exploring their coup and testing out all the veggie scraps I will be throwing to them. We now have dogs and chickens to feed our scraps to which will reduce the garbage that leaves this house- that is until all the nappies come rolling through!

The next stage will be training the dogs that playing with the chickens will result in a serous hiding and then it'll be onto fox watch with the 22 ready and waiting! I think the cage is pretty secure but when and animal gets hungry you never know what they'll do!

I am very excited that I only have 11 weeks left of my pregnancy- give or take a couple of course- I have my baby shower this weekend and cannot wait to set up Bubs new presents and then of course to go shopping afterward for all the things that I still need!
Just to make life a little more interesting and challenging I have also enrolled in a correspondence 'Diploma of Childrens Services'. I am very excited about this course because not only will it teach me how to raise and educate my own children from a young age, I will also be able to find a job where I can take Bub along whether it be to a Daycare Center or Preschool! The course is also set up so that I can do all the assignments in my own time around Bubs routine and I can take up to 3 years to complete it if things get too hectic.
Hopefully my course materials will arrive by the end of the week and I can get a head start in the upcoming months (it will also a great distraction to take my mind of wanting to pop like RIGHT NOW!)

Boo Hoo I've got Flu

2009-04-28T16:00:00.004+10:00

Its so annoying being sick... I am very lucky that I have such a wonderful partner who lets me stay home, so recovering from an illness is far easier than it would be if I was working. I've spent the last 3 days in bed (any time I tried to get up Neil yelled at me to go back to bed... such a sweetheart!) I've managed to keep the house clean and food on the table in between sleeping and blowing my nose. The latter which has taken up most of my time! I bought a big box of tissues yesterday ( the nice eucalyptus scented ones) and they're nearly gone already. The highlight of my time in confinement has been sending all those nasty germs from my tissues to their deaths in my nice big fireplace. Only now I barely have a nose left to blow and I just don't understand WHERE on EARTH all that gunk is coming from!

I am starting to feel a bit better, my eyes are no longer red and swollen though I still have trouble eating and breathing at the same time since I need my mouth for both.. could be quite dangerous...

On the plus side, Bub seems to be none the wiser and is growing and playing more than ever (seemingly using up the last of my energy to do so!) There seems to be a pattern between my eating and Bub break dancing which i find so incredibly amusing I keep eating and eating just to feel the connection! I shall have to find another way to get a reaction else we shall both end up the size of elephants! (I am having trouble coming to terms with giving birth to a little baby let alone a baby elephant!)

I still need to take photos to show off my bump, I just got some photos back from Nardia's (Neils Twin) wedding. That day I proudly wore my Bump feeling like it was the hugest thing ever... only the photo seems to prove otherwise....

Maybe next month......

Well that's all I can think of to babble on about for now, I'm going to bake some jam Drops for Neil to take to work for morning tea tomorrow.

Poor Ponies

2009-04-21T15:45:00.002+10:00

The Polo world is very sad this week after hearing news that 21 horses died in Florida on Sunday. 14 dropped dead beside the field before the match and a further 7 died later that day and evening. They have yet to determine the exact cause of death but there is obviously some form of intoxication. I have rifled through all the news sites gathering all the information I can and it is quite clear that so many people have no idea what happens behind the scenes of polo. There are accusations of foul play, stating that the Patron, Victor Vargas has been the victim of revenge which I cannot believe. No one would intentionally poison 21 horses- Surely... perhaps I am naiive..- some say that the feed may have accidentally been tainted or the water, but sadly those of us who do work within the polo circuit have strong suspicions that it was just a case of some go-go juice gone wrong.

It is just a very very tragic accident I am sure.

However we will all find out soon enough what the truth is as all 21 horses have been shipped to various medical centres around Florida for autopsies to be carried out.

I cannot imagine what it must be like to lose a whole string, let alone three or four, of ponies. My heart goes out to the Owners, Players and Grooms who must all be absolutely devastated. I also want to smack any idiots who have been commenting that they hope this is a lesson to all Polo Pony owners that the horses are living animals and not just equipment. ALL Polo teams, ESPECIALLY the High Goal ones spend hundred of thousands in taking the best care of their horses.

Life

2009-04-14T08:49:00.003+10:00

I get really sad when I watch our calves being weened from their mothers. The first night they are all separated into yards, Mothers in one yard and Calves in the other. (This makes for a sleepless night for Suzi since the yards are only a hundred meters from our house and naturally they spend the whole night calling -screaming- out to each other) After that the calves are walked to their own new paddock and Mums spend another night in the yards (to stop them running through fences looking for their babies) The calves then spend the next few days huddled in the corner of the paddock closest to where they last saw their mums, not eating, not drinking and most likely truly depressed. After a while they begin to graze, go in search for water and eventually forget completely that they ever had a mum.
This might sound very cruel but if left to nature the whole weening process is far more horrific. The mums eventually start to kick their babies away and chase them when they try to come near for a feed of some comfort. Nature is so cruel, and I think this process is shared amongst most of the animal kingdom. The thing is, I think they forget all about it which is one thing that I, as a human, could never do.

This weekend Neils twin sister is getting Married and Neil has to give her away. Family events are very exciting times but selfishly I can only be sad. I come from a very close family (and a huge one at that) however our own thirst for life and adventure has sent us all flying to opposite ends of the world. I think is a both incredibly fascinating and wonderful that my Parents live in Turkey, Clare lives in England, Jane in South Africa and myself in Australia. It makes for great story telling but also I find more and more as time goes by, little cracks in my heart.

We have all grown up so much (myself especially) and I really wish that I could have had my family with me all along. I wish we could arrange to have lunch tomorrow, go shopping next week, spend a weekend together. (I cannot remember the last time the 5 of us we all in one room together)
I am even more sad that my Nieces and Nephew are growing up so fast and I am missing EVERYTHING! I saw Jessica at least once a year for the first 5 years of her life and now suddenly she is 7 and I haven't seen her for two years soon to be three! Who knows when I will next see Shannon and Jordan again (Jane you better work on getting over here quick smart!)
I love all of my family and wish that we could all be near each other (I seem to remember saying when I was younger that I would never leave home!) but we all have lives of our own and families of our own and the choices we make are the choices that are best for us as individuals. I guess it is all part of growing up and a huge part of life itself. I know that we will always have get-togethers and its great to be able to visit another country whilst visiting family, I mean, how boring would we be if we had all grown up together in the same town our whole lives, got married and had our own kids all in the same town.... No matter how much I love my family I would not change our lives for anything! We have all done incredible things and traveled to amazing places, have wonderful stories to tell and are who we are today thanks to the choices we have made.

THANKFULLY we are Human. Our parents never kick us out of home, they let us go knowing we will always return and that we will never forget!

Fudge

2009-04-05T09:04:00.003+10:00

Well its all in the name really. When we stuff something up, over here, we say "Oh i really fudged that up". Well that is exactly what I did this morning trying to make ACTUAL fudge...I think we went WAAAAy past the soft ball stage before I removed it from the heat and well I now have a pile of a crumbled powdery toffee type substance that doesn't even taste good. I think I shall try and find my own recipe or just give up and leave it to the experts!

I still haven't heard back if I passed my citizenship test yet, fingers crossed I did better than the car load of non English speaking Lebanese that preceded! I am starting to think twice about this whole process though because they automatically enroll you to vote and its compulsory over here. I think they fine you a whole 5 dollars if you don't turn up to vote.. but then again.. if voting is anonymous how do they know??? A truly interesting topic that I'm not getting into.

The weather is slowly turning over here and call me crazy but I think I am actually looking forward to the cold weather. It might have something to do with the fact that I no longer have to work outside in the harsh weather and that sometimes its just great to snuggle up nice and warm by the fire. Poor Neil, I'll have to be extra nice and pack him off with plenty of hot chocolate and yummy treats to get him through the mornings at work, with hot soups waiting for him at lunch!

I suppose as winter arrives I might have to find some better sleeping arrangements for our poor hard done by dogs....

You would never believe that they actually have little houses out back where they are actually sheltered from the weather... I think they just like to be close to me, but really Toby.. a cardboard box??? We have to use that for the baby you know! (that truly was a joke.. please don't call child services.. Bub has a beautiful bassinet, INSIDE the house!)

Well that's about all the rambling I can come up with for now, I'll see what other stories I can come up with for my next post!

Advance Australia Fair

2009-03-24T11:44:00.002+11:00

When people ask me where I am from I find it difficult to come up with a straight answer. There is a long story and a short. The short story is that I was born in Zimbabwe, I hold a British passport and am an Australian resident. All this is only complicated even more by having to explain about my family. My parents live in Istanbul, my oldest sister Clare in England and my middle sister, Jane, lives in South Africa.
I am proud of who I am and where I come from and love that our family are so diverse. (Although it would be great to be able to meet up for dinner or go shopping together and see each other more than once a year!) However sometimes I don’t really feel as though I ‘Belong’ anywhere. We left Zimbabwe when I was only 7 so calling myself Zimbabwean is great until I come across other Zimbabweans and realise how different I really am. As for my British passport, well, that is just ancestral and I never really considered anywhere in England my home.

I became an Australian resident in September 2005, which earns me the privilege (not the right) to remain in Australia indefinitely. I have thus decided that the next step (also to be considered a life achievement) is to be (attempting) to obtain my Australian Citizenship. Some friends of mine have organised for the three of us to sit our Citizenship test next Tuesday 31st March. I am very excited at the prospect of finally belonging somewhere as a result of none more than my own efforts. It is my choice, my privilege and soon to be my RIGHT to live in this beautiful country.

We have been given booklets to study covering the basic history of Australia, it’s people and it’s government. We basically have to learn Australian Values (much the values of any decent human being) the rights and responsibilities of our citizenship, how and who controls the country and really a whole load of politically correct explanations of how the country came to be – my favorite so far is the ‘politically correct’ explanation of how the indigenous population shrank from 750 000 in 1788 to only 48300 that it is today, this being ‘conflict’ with new settlers in the impact of disease. There seems to be no mention for walking them off cliffs and the attempt to ‘breed’ them out. I suppose we aren’t supposed to learn about racial differences when being introduced to an egalitarian society.

I have also learned that there is such a word as ‘mateship’ (even though my spell checker says otherwise!) which is apparently a tradition that Australia prides itself on. There are all sorts of things in this book that I find incredibly amusing but am afraid to share in case it is just a case of my pure ignorance!

I am very excited about my test and hope to pass with flying colours! (Failing will only mean I remain a resident, so at least they can’t kick me out!)

mmm baking...

2009-03-09T11:46:00.004+11:00

As I stand here in my kitchen waiting for my Banana cake to finish baking - Thankyou nibblous.co.uk - I feel like eating the whole lot before it is done. The intoxicating aroma wafting from my oven is enough to reduce me to tears - saying that it doesn't take much to reduce me to tears at the moment, and I'm talking hearing a bird chirp or needing the loo- I hope the recipe turns out as great as it smells!

I am actually getting quite into my baking, I never thought I would find it so much fun, I only have to try my hardest to find recipes that aren't going to make me blow up like a whale! I found the best Chocolate Fudge recipe (that reminds me of my childhood) but I am terrified of making it in case I eat the whole lot in one sitting because of some mad craving that I've buried deep inside. Everyone keeps telling me to listen to my body, my cravings are supposed to be a sign of what my growing bub needs but I am one HUNDRED percent sure its not screaming 'half a kilo of fudge please!'

Yesterday was a sad and disappointing day for me. My friend Alyce (also mine and Neils hairdresser, bless her) was given the boot with only half a days notice. A few months ago she broke up with her boyfriend and boss who is our horse breaker here (Alyce looked after all the breaker horses) They have managed to remain friends and keep a healthy work relationship but He could not handle the thought that She might end up with another guy here on the property. A few nights ago there was an incident where someone was accused of trying to sleep with her and a fight very nearly took place outside the club. Anyway as a result Alyce was asked to leave the property, her job and her friends because he could not do his job properly with her dangling in front of him. (To be honest they should never have been allowed to work so closely together in the first place.) She has become a victim of circumstance and the worst is how the situation has been handled. Sent on her way without a chance to say goodbye or to defend her case. It is most definitely a mans world. Both of them are very good friends of ours and we absolutely refuse to take sides. Perhaps both are to blame, maybe one more than the other, it is amazing how love can drive anyone so crazy.

Anyway there is nothing any of us can do to help her which makes it so much harder. I want to take her under my wing, stand up for her, anything... but in a world as unstable as ours everyone just has to quietly mind their own business and stay out of any situation that might turn against them. Which is really sad because no matter how good a friend you think you are to someone, you will always (and have to) put yourself first. Who are we to call ourselves anyones 'Friends'

A waiting game..

2009-03-04T09:19:00.003+11:00

19 weeks have come and gone and in the mornings I look like I just had a big meal, but in the evenings- well that's more like it! Ever since I fell pregnant its been just a whole load of waiting. Waiting for the first doctors appointment, waiting for the first scan, waiting for the results, waiting for the next check up and the next scan and most of all waiting to actually have something to SHOW for my troubles! I know soon enough I will be the size of a house and unable to get around like I used to, the only trouble is, I already feel like I have inhabited the body of a cripple and still barely look like I have a mini me growing inside.

I'll tell you now, nobody ever told me how exhausting cultivating bones could be! I love every minute of it! I have been ever so lucky that I never suffered any morning sickness, the worst was just a little bit of nausea if I let myself get too hungry and every other day i find it impossible to summon even the tiniest amount of energy! I have one little complaint though, I just wish that my Bub would save some food for me! I eat and eat and eat and 10 minutes later its all be drained and none left for Mommy! Neil said at least that way if the bub eats everything I won't get fat... but I am still HUNGRY!

The most amazing part of this experience so far, for me anyway, is feeling him/her wriggling about like a jumping bean! So far the kicks and pokes are ticklish and funny but everyday they seem to get a little harder and I am sure last night Bub was trying really hard to use my bladder as a punching bag... I am safe until the next growth spurt!

The tournament properly kicks off today. There were some games on the weekend but they were just glorified practices so all the teams could give their horses a run and get used to the fields. Of course there were many who treated the practices just as they would a proper game, i guess that is all the testosterone floating around out there, some people cant' stand losing even if it means saving their horse power for the more important games!
Thanks to the market crash Neil has been given yet another chance to play for the Ellerston White Team (much cheaper than importing international players!) It is great to get these opportunities though sometimes I think he'd much rather be out training the young horses than playing with a bunch of victory hungry idiots!
It is all very well wanting to win and playing your heart out, but its when your efforts get in the way of another players Polo stick or the ball that the fun is taken out of it! Playing the best horses in the world on the best fields in the world are hardly worth another set of stitches around his eyes or a broken nose! I will probably get into trouble for writing this because it seems that every time I mention his prior injuries or say 'Be Careful' as he goes onto the field, he comes back hurt and we have to take another trip to the hospital! Just before he plays I barely say anything to him and last of all just say 'Have Fun!' I think it is safer that way!

So with that I leave you all till my next post which hopefully will be reports of won games and Neil returning home injury free! (And all pray that I haven't just jinxed him again!!)

Home Sweet Home

2009-02-26T10:30:00.002+11:00

Finally Neil and I have our own little house! We moved here mid December after the Company found out that I was pregnant. I always knew it would take something like that for them to see us as grown ups and treat us accordingly. Nevertheless we are finally here and have all the privacy in the world. The nearest neighbours are a Kilometer away, ( apart from hundreds of mice and rabbits, a couple of foxes and a paddock full of Hereford bulls!) and we have stunning views of our valley and the surrounding hills.

Our home has three bedrooms ( one en-suite guestroom, one nursery and of course our room) two bathrooms, a sunken lounge and a lovely huge kitchen/dining room with plenty of bench space! We have a pretty little garden ( in need of a lot of work come mid winter) a veggie patch and a chuck shed! We are currently looking for half a dozen laying hens to keep in the shed so watch this space for that story! I am sure there will be so fox shooting once we get them and the dogs will need to be trained not to eat/chase them!

This weekend marks the start of our March Polo Tournament, which is also to be the last tournament held here for four years or so. It is a very sad time since tournaments have been held here every March and October for the last 20 years. Many fear that Australian Polo will suffer as a result because Ellerston have always been a huge support ensuring their own teams make up numbers so that tournaments all over the country can go ahead. Without our tournaments there will be limited opportunities for people to play in this country.
All that aside we are all geared up to make the most of and thoroughly enjoy these next four weeks! -ME especially since it will be the first time in 6 years that I get to finally take up the sidelines and watch instead of grooming and running around like a headless chicken 7 days a week! I am VERY excited, plus I get to spend all day, if I wish, at the breakfast room stuffing my face and demanding banana and bacon pancakes from my friends the chefs! (even more so in my current condition!!)

I am now 18 weeks and 2 days pregnant and loving every minute of it! I never once suffered from morning sickness and aside form a few aches and pains have not yet had anything to complain about! I spent the last 3 months extremely exhausted and in serious lack of motivation but now in my second trimester I am full of energy and rearing to go!!

Hopefully now that we have a satellite installed at home I can keep this blog updated ( yes I always seem to promise this) and fill you all in on my day to day adventures!

2008-07-31T11:17:00.003+10:00

Well.... where to start.. Surprise, surprise, my last job didn't last too long either! The stud I was working at required us to carry heavy bags of feed on our backs up and down hills, feeding horses all day! Not my idea of fun really, no matter how much people pay, you only get one spine and its best not to break it for the sake of a job.
Thoroughbreds weren't really my style anyway. I have 7 years experience working with Polo ponies and trust me that doesn't give you one single foot in the door to working with Racehorses. They are rude, pushy, 300 kilos heavier than a polo pony and most like 700 kilos heavier than me! The thing with Race horses is that they are trained to run fast in a straight line... and nothing else!

After getting a medical certificate and agreeing with the managers that there was no such thing as light duties when working with horses I resigned and returned to Ellerston. The place where my life in Australia first started. I suppose that I too - as well and Mum and Dad- have made a full circle. I left Ellerston when we were in England last year, traveled to Spain, South Africa, Argentina, South Africa, Australia (but to Queensland) and now back to New South Wale and Ellerston. Perhaps this is where I will end up, or perhaps I feel drawn to the place as it is the longest I have been settled ANYWHERE in the world since I was 7 yrs old.

I am now living with Neil -and Toby and Lace-. We have known each other for 5 years. Were in a relationship for some of that time and when I left I had needed to run away to get a lot of things out of my system and somehow in trying to get away, I found myself right back where I started back with my best friend. I am very lucky to have someone like Neil - especially for him to take me back after running out on him!- but also that he will take care of me no matter what and being such good friend we have so much fun together and can truly be ourselves in each others presence.

At this stage of my life I am well and truly unemployed- Its Fabulous-. This is mostly by choice, since I could get a Polo job anywhere in the world tomorrow, but now that I am living back at Ellerston i either have to find a job here or commute over and hour to and from work in Scone. I am in no rush and I know that the right job will come up at the right time.

My days are filled trying to write my long overdue novel - not much progress I might add- walking in the hills with the dogs, visiting friends for tea, learning to break in young horses and working out to my Ballet Dvds! Exercise is an addiction I never thought I would have! It feels great and so do I!

I know I keep promising to stay up to date with this and I never do but really since I have so much free time I really will try!

Another new beginning

2008-06-04T09:09:00.002+10:00

Well aren't I just full of new beginnings? After selling my child and leaving my extremely underpaid under working job, (i'd rather work really hard for lots of money than do nothing for hardly any pay) I escaped to Sydney to help out some friends of mine who were playing Polo down there. They had all been on the road too long (country circuit polo) and stress and tension levels were sky high.

In flies Sooze to save the day.

I can't really say that I did very much but apparently my presence was enough to lift the pressure off everyone and the tour ended much more peacefully than originally predicted. Aside from losing the final I think everybody enjoyed themselves but even more so are very relieved that the tour is over... until next year of course.

I have completed what I am almost positive is my last weekend of Polo Grooming! Never say never, but fingers crossed I am out of that stage now. If I am to enjoy anymore Polo I hope it shall be from the sidelines.

I start a new job next week sometime working on a thoroughbred stud as part of their breeding team. I am not entirely sure of my exact job description but I can imagine I shall be dealing a lot with Mares, foals and Stallions. Tomorrow I am driving down there to have a look around and to organise a start date with my new boss.

At the moment I am back at Ellerston but only on holiday. They are the closest thing I have to family right now to help me deal with the tragedy that has fallen upon the Coughlans.

There is plenty more to update I am sure but for now I am only concerned with what is to come and not with what has been. Hopefully I am truly embarking on a new adventure and not just another failed idea of what I want to be doing and where.

I will try to keep this updated now that I am back in touch with the world.

xxx

Terrible Mother

2008-05-07T12:48:00.002+10:00

I am a terrible Mother! My child (Tiny) is the most disobedient being ever! So incredibly cute and cuddly and loving and friendly and social and regal. You would never believe she was a serial killer! Yes, the chickens escaped their shed about a week ago and Tiny quite happily walked amongst them and was not all that bothered by their presence.. until... one of them RAN! yep in true greyhound form she chased and chased and chased until the poor thing, minus a few feathers crawled up under the cab of the truck and stayed there. I eventually managed to catch the little rat (she thought it was a game) and put her in the naughty room (The study)

We managed to get all the chooks back in the shed and Tiny was eventually let out of the room. Thinking I had taught her a lesson, freedom was soon restored and I allowed her to roam the farm again. The very next morning I heard squealing and clucking and ran to the shed to find Tiny standing proudly over a dead half eaten chicken, covered in its blood! I nearly died. She had crawled under the fence and cornered the poor creature! I belted her and tied her up outside in the cold for the night.

Next morning I let her off for a run. She avoided the chook shed all day and I yet again thought I had won. Within minutes of this thought going through my head... More screaming! I ran into the shed, (no victims yet) belted her (yelping) and threw her in the hay shed for the night. Same again next day but no yelping when I hit her! She just lay there and looked at me and put HERSELF in the hay shed! hmmm me thinks defiant is way off the mark! She has now come to accept that, sure if you go in with the chickens you'll get a beating have to sleep in the hay shed. BIG DEAL!

I read recently that Italian Greyhounds are an incredibly regal breed. They thrive on attention and cannot tell the difference (nor care) between negative and positive attention. If you yell at them of punish them they just take it as - Oh goody she loves me!-
I give up....and so did the mother duck who rapidly went from 6 happy little duckling to 2 nervous wrecks!

Thus failing as a mother i decided that since I do not have the time nor patience to train her properly Tiny has been adopted by a lovely lady with a FENCE round her garden and NO CHICKENS! Sadly once they get the taste of blood there is no going back!

I am a little heart broken that I had to give up my child, and even more so disappointed in myself that I failed as a mother. If I cannot look after a puppy dog how will I ever look after a human child!

Funny that I can look after 12 horses and not one "Tiny".

Anyway... things are gradually changing for me. In two weeks time I could either be living by the beach and working on the coast or working in another horsey job. Who knows.. I will just see what comes up. I think myself into a frenzy when I am out riding. Much like Jane on her TDTM. So I figured I'd just cut thinking out of my daily regime and leave it up to fate....

will keep you all posted xxx

PS please excuse all Typos I wrote this in a hurry. Shall we rule "Secretary " out of my future?

Wedding

2008-04-15T11:33:00.001+10:00

This last weekend (12th April) Laura and I were bridesmaids at my friend Aimee’s wedding. It was a lovely ceremony at a vineyard called ‘Borrodell’ in Orange, NSW. There were five Bridesmaids and five Groomsmen and about eighty guests. Aimee looked beautiful – tell me one Bride that did not look stunning at her own wedding! - Her Husband Tomo- who I just found out is actually called Jason, even though I’ve known him for 4 years! Jason Thompson! - was wearing a pinstripe suit, with a gangster hat and diamond earrings! It sounds crude but actually really suited him!

We started off at 7 am at the hairdressers with Champagne, Strawberries and Chocolate. Then onto the Brides Grandmothers house for the girls to all get dressed together- and drink some more champagne- then onto the Ceremony at 12h30. The photo sessions afterwards took absolutely FOREVER, but Aimee’s Mother had prepared a cool box full of sandwiches and Champagne to keep us going! Lunch and speeches, followed by cake and dancing… then things seem to become a bit of a blur! We had to be out of the vineyard by 6pm for another function and so headed to the Pub in Orange where drinks and nibbles had been prepared for us.

At some stage of the night us Bridesmaids snuck off to another pub called the ‘Royal’ where we ran into Jaimee –Who worked and lived with Laura and I at Ellerston- and a few of Laura’s school mates. I stepped outside the pub for some fresh air with one of the other Bridesmaids – Brooke- only to find that we were not allowed back in! –They have a curfew where you have to be either in or out, plus we were probably slightly intoxicated by this stage! – Brooke and I proudly stated that it was okay we were with the Bride (!) the bouncer had no clue WHAT we were on about. Then after some more arguing and trying to tell him that we were staying with the girls that were inside (Laura) and couldn’t get home or even find where home was with out her, I told the bouncer that if he left us to roam the streets on our own we would get raped! He said, you are absolutely right hang on one second I’ll be right back. I stood there wallowing in my triumph thinking that he was about to let us back in when a car pulled up outside and We saw that he had called the Police to escort us home!

By now Laura had called her mom Sue to say that I would be home shortly can she meet me in the driveway so I knew where the house was- she didn’t say I would be in a Police car! -. Now having had as much Champagne as I did, when the Police offer you a lift home, it somehow doesn’t sink in that they are just doing the right thing by a South African girl afraid of getting raped. I thought I was being arrested, and told them that I had done nothing wrong and they had no right to take me in their car. I can imagine how frustrating it must have been for those two police officers, when they were arguing with a brick wall! Eventually they convinced me to get in the car and took me home to Sue – poor Sue- waiting in the driveway in her dressing gown. After putting me to bed, and herself –Again- Sue was then woken up by Laura who had no key and couldn’t get back in the house. Sue Houston is a VERY tolerant Mother.

All fun and games until the police intervene! The next morning I got a lift back to Sydney with Sue, Laura and her sister Georgie to catch a plane back up to the Gold Coast, and for Laura to fly onto UK back to Midhurst with our ponies.

I few people have asked if I am sad not to be going with her. I think I am happy that I am not going and although I will miss the ponies, Laura and Jeff, we had some amazing times together and our last season was a great one and a good note to end on. I am happy that Laura could take over from me and I hope she has just as much fun this year as we did in the past. As for myself, I am not quite settled. My job here by the Gold Coast is not all I was promised but I have spoken to those concerned and they will get back to me with either a new deal, or I shall be moving on to pastures new. Said pastures will not involve grooming and will hopefully include weekends off! I figure, either way I win.

Tiny

2008-04-03T19:47:00.002+11:00

Hello all!! I know it has been forever since I updated… even I, thought that I would never get round to it again!! The connection is sooo SLOW (we have this old fashion thing called “Dial-up”??) that I just couldn’t bear waiting for things to upload and I have no idea how much the Internet is costing me yet!
I will get a 3g USB thingy so I can connect via my mobile and pay as I go!
Back to costs… my new job is great, although I do not get paid as much as my last job but I haven’t yet curbed my spending to fit said new wage! In the next week or so I think that it will be forced on me as I now have another mouth to feed! I - “Mommy”- shall starve just so that I can spoil my new baby rotten!! - As the cover of the ‘Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy’ states – “DON”T PANIC!” I am not with child! I have adopted a beautiful 5-month-old Italian Greyhound! PUPPY! Her name is Tiny… originally Tina but I couldn’t help myself! An Italian Greyhound- for those who do not know- is a miniature, even smaller than a whippet! When I saw the first photo of Tiny online, I assumed she was a lot bigger than she actually is! In fact is is almost impossible to imagine her size unless you were to see her! Slightly bigger than a Chihuahua, though shaped like a greyhound! She is the cutest most energetic and NUTTIEST little thing ever!
There are a few things we have to overcome though! Firstly using my green carpet in my bedroom as a toilet! (I can see how she confuses it with grass!) And throwing up in the car! Oh and she has never seen horses before and although terrified of them doesn’t see the connection between running through their legs and getting kicked! They could snap her in half with a flick of a tail! She is awfully fast though, so keep your fingers crossed!
The little darling has settled in really well. We picked her up from the car park at Warner Bros Movie World on the Gold Coast. Did a little trade in the car park, money for pup! She is at this moment curled up in her OWN bed- that she chose at pet barn today!- sports a red harness and lead- a cute little teddy bear that squeaks and will go everywhere with her until she realizes that its hers and she can’t live without it! Desperate to force some sort of comfort on her so that if I am not around she can deal with it! She whines like crazy when I tie her up to do the horses, it breaks my heart but she will have to learn to wait and that I can’t have her in my arms all day long!
I am looking forward to taking her to Polo this weekend to show her off! I think she will be the PERFECT polo dog for me to stomp divots in heals and prance around with her on the lead! She is a very proud pup and LOVES posing! Hmm…Jane said something about owners and their dogs… (will take more pics this weekend!)
Aside from that all, I am very settled in my new job and home and think that this is going to be a really good new life for me. Here’s hoping anyway!

Moving On!

2008-03-10T21:33:00.000+11:00

The last couple of weeks a lot of things have really been getting to me. The disorganization of the place and Job I am in now just iced the cake! I’m turning 26 this year. The same age that both my sisters had their first children. I don’t even have a HOME or a secure job and I am working for a bunch of people who don’t know where we’re going to be, how we are going to get there and if it will even work!

Since the crime in this country decided to wake me up to this realization I joined a site called ‘Yard and Groom’ to see what sort of jobs were out there and if I had the sort of experience and traits that people were looking for. I first looked through various jobs and noticed one that took my fancy and sent a query. The next day I had a look at the site just to see what else I could find, and in my inbox were 7 messages showing interest and for me to contact them! Boy did I feel loved! The one I had originally emailed was a job in Wicklow in Ireland. It wasn’t a lot of money but sounded like a great experience and a chance to add another country to my travels.

Another was a job in Spain as a riding instructor/groom/hack leader at Andalucian Dressage Club Hipica Bennisa near Alicante in Spain. I told the guy that I hadn’t a clue about dressage and he said no problem he will give me lessons himself as he is a national judge of Dressage in Spain and his daughter was competing nationally at 14! Fantastic opportunity but dressage is soooo not my discipline!

There were a few Polo yards in Uk that contacted me. I knew who they were but I don’t think they realized who I was – I don’t think a single person in polo knows my surname… they call me Little Suzi, or Suzi Spiral, Suzi Ellerston, Suzi Stonefield…- but I giggled to myself thanked them all for their interest but said that I now had no intentions of going to UK. Yes I Suppose that is a little development I hadn’t mentioned here either!

Finally there were two Polo teams in Australia looking for grooms. I told them both that I was looking for something a bit more rewarding than grooming and having the knowledge that I do about Australian polo, didn’t think they could pay me enough. Thankfully, both Teams came back with a Head Groom/Yard Manager position and agreed that we could work out a deal as far as money goes – can you say WOOOOHOOOO!-

I also mentioned that I needed my flight paid back to Oz!

Well people I guess you can imagine that I’m GOING BACK TO AUSTRALIA!!!

I haven’t finalized my decision yet, but I have definitely thought about the locations and people surrounding me, and I am pretty sure I am going to Qnslnd! I am SOOOOO excited and I am going to get a dog as soon as I get there because I think that is the only thing that will keep my feet on the ground and in one place for a while! I plan to settle down in my new job and make a life for myself! (It’ll be a long dog and I’m going to call him Peanut! - thanks Jane! -

Another big part of my decision is that I can start trying to find jobs and a home for Jane and Sean. It will be a lot easier for them with someone on the inside!

Now all that is left is to chat to my current bosses and tell them that I have an offer I cannot turn down. I am waiting for their call now… EEEK!

The last two days have been incredibly stressful and full of emotion as I wait to find out the details of my future, I’ve laughed cried and bounced off the walls, I guess full of anxiety I just hope it goes away soon so I can sleep at night and eat a proper meal!

Life is sorting itself out for me and I really believe I may have landed with my bum in the butter-again! - Fingers Crossed!

2008-03-06T03:54:00.001+11:00

“Prison or Paradise” was the slogan in an advert for the Mauritius Quarantine station. It showed photos of lovely outdoor stables, sand tracks, arenas, paddocks, all near the beautiful turquoise sea- that being paradise- and had photos of the quarantine station where I am currently based under the heading 'prison'! I don't think that is legal but beside the point.
Oddly enough -sarcasm- the people who run this station were furious about the comparison. I raised my eyebrows and couldn't understand why they couldn't see it was so TRUE!
I understand that the stables have to be sealed from the outside air for quarantine reasons but it doesn't mean that the outside has to be a complete dump! I am expected to get 12 horses fit enough to play the high goal in UK, with a sand track that is so deep they keep tying up (cramp in their hind quarters), surrounded by race horses, arabs and stallions that send them off their nuts and constant construction and racecourse maintenance going on around me that is OH SO SCARY for the horses I can't believe I haven't fallen off and been injured so far! It is ridiculous that I cannot do my job the best way I know how because of the lack of facilities. I know it is a temporary situation but we will have been here for 3 months by the time we leave which is a HUGE part of the horses preparation. All my horses are completely insane as they spend all their time locked up in their little cells and fed to the eyeballs so I am slowly but surely losing my nerve riding them which is NOT a good thing when horses are your profession!

So many horses pass through this quarantine station to their various destinations around the world. It should be equipped for all equine disciplines to be able to maintain a certain level of health and fitness in their horses during their compulsory stay here. Just because we don’t come here by choice doesn’t mean that it should be punishment!

Friday I went to Newlands rugby stadium – ALL BY MYSELF- to watch the Crusaders Vs Stormers Super 14s. IT was amazing. Lunch time that day I text Jane- my sister- saying that I had no one to go with and was going to watch it on TV and sulk. She told me to go to the ticket office and take myself to see the team that I have been obsessing over for the last week.

I did just that I went to the ticket office at the stadium and got a FANTASTIC ticket for ONE! Center field, meters from the side line, I had THE best view of Daniel Carter- and what a legend he is too! The Crusaders ruled the field, refusing to let up their defense and whooped the Stormers by 22 to NIL!

I had the best night of my life. I met a few people before the game at the pub who couldn’t BELIEVE that a WOMAN came on her OWN to a RUGBY match surrounded by MEN and supporting the OPPOSITION??? I hardly believed it myself, but had somehow found this new confidence and independence. I know I may sound like a ‘no mates’ but sometimes you can’t be afraid to do things that you really want to do just because there is no one around to hold your hand. Hopefully I will not forget this and begin to apply my newfound confidence to my everyday life.

Having said all of that I was horrified to hear of a violent crime committed near my sisters home in Waterfall, which now changes my opinion of confidence being “BRAVE” to confidence being “STUPID”. I now feel that perhaps doing something on my own is just out right ridiculous. You think you can protect yourself if you are aware of your surroundings but bad things happen to good people no matter how many precautions they take. I too- like my sister- plan to leave this country as soon as possible, and it breaks my heart even more to know that I can get myself out tomorrow but Jane and Sean have themselves and their two beautiful innocent children to find a new home for in a safe country on the other side of the world. It is not as simple. I wish them the luck in finding a safe place for their children to grow and the courage and strength to continue their everyday life in the meantime, in the country that they once loved as children themselves.

God bless you all. xxx

My Crusade....

2008-02-25T08:25:00.002+11:00

Today I went to Scarborough with Denzil to pick mussels off the rocks! It was SO much fun. We then went to a nearby beach to dig for white mussels, which involves primarily twisting your body like an idiot to bury your feet as deep into the sand as possible to feel for mussels with your toes. We ended up on our hands an knees in the shallows digging frantically for about half an hour and ended up as a tiny side plate of white mussels! It was the best time i have had in a long time and a great experience! I have only ever picked mussels off the rocks so this was a completely new aspect to me! Tomorrow i fear that all my limbs will be aching from my attempts but i will write them off as 'Well Worth it' and "my exercise quota for the weekend'. The sea was an incredible turquoise colour and the water FREEZING as it always seems to be in this part of the world, but the most beautiful thing i have seen in ages.
After Denzil cooked our mussels in an AMAZING sauce for lunch, I then drove round to the 'other side of the mountain' to meet my friends Rory, Helen, Soph and Janine for drinks at Le Med, near Camps bay.
Soph and Janine had run into the Crusaders Rugby team earlier in Camps bay which i am VERY jealous off, but am glad that I had the morning I did!
Cousin Candiss also turned up at Le Med, which apparently seems to be THE Sunday joll!
We ended off the night with dinner at the Waterfront, whilst Rory and Helen squeezed in as much shopping as they could before flying back to Zambia tomorrow, which is turning out to be much like Zimbabwe, sadly! It was fantastic catching up with old friends and now to be starting out a new week ever hopeful of partying with THE BEST super 14s rugby team in the WORLD! Sorry Jane and Sean... The Sharks are DEFINITELY closest 2nd on my list!
Sadly I am admitting to being the biggest Crusaders stalked in the world Although I have not yet done much to prove it! Aside from looking up their itinerary and flight details I have yet to give them actual cause for concern! I had meant to meet them at the Airport yesterday but had a siesta instead! Today i chose to go mussel picking and missed their outing to the beach but i have every intention of getting myself to their press conference tomorrow and finding out where exactly their 4 pm practice is!
Failing that, it is the BEST motivation for Soph and I to keep up our exercise routine this week in hope of running into them on the promenade! - at which stage I intend to preform my NEWEST stage of hunting, which involves fainting from over heating at Daniel Carters feet!

Wish me luck in MY new crusade! Farewell to lonely yesterdays, hello Canterbury Crusaders!

Howard and Duke

2008-02-23T20:10:00.003+11:00

-yeeeees- Whilst out riding I have a lot of time for idle conversations in my head. -To tell you all of them would require and extra 60 gigs of memory in my computer- Soooo we'll start with Howard and Duke. I really enjoy naming things- even changing the names of my horses to ones that I think are more fitting- but Duke is my Corsa backie. Not really sure where that came from but it seemed the right name to go with Howard.
I can't remember if i mentioned my standard issue baseball bat that came behind the back seat of Duke- Purely for self defense of course!- Well said baseball bat-if I may say so myself- has been very cleverly named. Think... Howard... Howie.... OWIE!

I just took a pic of them but realised that Soph has my camera cable so i can't upload it!

Duke and Howard- and I- took the girls out on the town last night. It was my turn to be designated Doris, and from now on I opt for that role because after getting home a little after 4 I feel nothing but tired and the girls are a MESS!
The night started out having a few drinks with an old friend of mine Rory Micklem (Rusawe Boy)- and his fiancee- who I met at the Royal Agricultural College in Cirencester. (Hmm doesn't that make me sound awfully educated! Sadly though, I was just a colonial groupie!) I also discovered that most of our colonial friends from RAC are currently in Capetown for one of the boys' weddings! Will be a great weekend for catching up! I love my town!) ANYWAY, back to the story. We then went passed the uni res to pick up a friend of ours, Janine -AND HALF HER RES WHO ARE ALL ON INITIATION WEEK!- and proceeded to a cheesy little club called "Tin Roof". It was a fantastic night! We ran into a 21st party there (Yes my age is showing AGAIN but at least I look their age- the bouncer asked for my ID and then had the cheek to say "You're a bit older than the average girl here!".) and met some amazingly fun people and danced to some really good music from when I was still at school!

I have now been to my horses, come home, showered and will shortly be jumping into my bed with crisp clean sheets. I LOVE MY MAID!

And before i sign off i would just like to share with you all that I LOVE MY TOWN! Driving home from work yesterday, just about to turn into my road, I noticed a guy running down the side of the road, I casually glanced over as i drove passed, did a double take- nearly crashed into a taxi- as i realised it was ex Springbok captain Francois Pienaar! Yes i do live in the best part of Capetown. Did i mention I love my town......

Phew

2008-02-22T05:54:00.002+11:00

I AM STRAIGHT! -Ahem... in the Chiropractic sense of course! The BFG stuck pins in me and threw me around the room but now i am STRAIGHT! It hurts a little still but i bet by the morning i will be feeling ten times better! Apparently daily headaches and pins and needles in my hands are NOT normal! And when he asked if I stretch everyday before ANY form of exercise I said "mmhmm" and we left it at that! he knows I am a big girl and need no explanation of what had just happened!

I sincerely hope you all hadn't thought i had abandoned my blog! I know its been about a week but i have been busy/tired/hardly at home... The weekend- is a long way behind us, its nearly the next!- To sum it up I DID NOT go watch the Stormers Vs Bulls at Newlands but had drinks with Denzil Vlamming instead.

Monday Sophs and I started our walks again. We made a deal that if we walked/jogged 3 days in a row we'd treat ourselves to PIZZA! mmmm.. hand made, thin crust Pizza, with Spinach, feta, Olives, Peppadews, and rocket- oh and Chilli too! OBVIOUSLY!- So thats what we did last night!

Things are pretty much same, old same old at work though I do amuse myself everyday taking Temps of the horses. To take a horses temperature, you stick the thermometer in their bum. Sorry but its the truth. Now amongst all my ponies there are a few HUAWGE stallions who just seem to LOVE the little silver thingy up their pooples! in fact they even hold their tails up for me! The funniest thing today was that even though this has been routine for the last 3 weeks, today Rendement tried to turn around to say hello to me and when I went with his bum and he found himself chasing tail for a few rounds of the stable, he then freaked out and leapt into the corner just about swallowing said thermometer! Once i regained seriousness I spent the next 5 minutes trying to delicately remove mickey mouse from his rear end! (It's called that because it has a cute little picture of mickey mouse on it!) Now just so that you can find this as comical as I do- including the nerve factor- Rendements' wither can be reached by putting my arm straight above my head and turning my hand 90 degrees away from my body- for his ears i keep my hand pointed straight into the air and raise myself slightly on tip-toe... SO as you can imagine, to take his temp, my arm is slightly above my head and thus making the chasing tail game quite a nervous and interesting experience for me! Not to mention that he thinks its HILARIOUS when i walk into his box, that I could have any serious intentions of controlling him! If I try to put a halter on him he eats the halter then throws me out the door! I don't think he means to hurt me- for him its a game- but just like any gentle giant, he really doesn't know his own strength! I will do my best to get some photos to add to this post!

I am now thoroughly into a beautiful movie called the notebook so I shall be leaving you and hopefully keeping up to date in future!

PS this kind of movie is SOOOO not good for a single gal!

Good Point!

2008-02-16T03:12:00.002+11:00

My Sister Clare has pointed out a flaw in my hunting game. She says that surely the type of person I am hunting for would send someone else out to do their shopping thus not to be found in the frozen food aisle at Woolworths! .....hmmmm... Time for a plan B! I'll fill you in when i come up with it!
Tonight i am off to a braai with our cousin Candz so i shall be posting photos and news tomorrow! Happy first Day of the Super 14s!

I spent the whole afternoon today (4hours to be exact) driving -V-E-R-Y--S-L-O-W-L-Y- to get one tub of electrolytes for my horses! Clever me to choose a Friday afternoon to do it hey!?

well nuff for now.. I'm off out xxx

Anti V

2008-02-15T03:31:00.004+11:00

I covered nearly 5 kilometers in an hour today- BY CAR! Yes, I joined the daily lemmings roll towards the city to my favourite place in the world; Home Affairs. yesterday I submitted all my forms with a travel itinerary (finally) and they told me to come back today and TODAY they want to know who told me to come back today I must come back on Monday! SO i experienced morning traffic towards the city all JUST for the experience and no other purpose! God Bless Africa.

Tuesday evening's jog was canceled due to the fact that Soph had been drinking all afternoon so i joined her and a college friend of hers for a few at Le Med, over looking the ocean. We ended up (to much protest on my behalf considering i was relatively stone cold sober compared to the two of them) at Tiger Tiger in Claremont. I was under the impression that it was a bar but turned out to be quite a nice club actually- aside from the fact that it was packed with first year uni students- mhhhmm boy did i feel OLD!

Wednesday was an early start with Home Affairs then I spent the whole day at the Quarantine station (where I should be during the day, it is my job!) holding fort for the people who run it. The station consists of four barns each with 8 stables that are fully from the outside air (and diseases) with air conditioning that keeps the barns at a more or less constant temperature- FANTASTIC for keeping their coats nicely conditioned!
It's not a bad place, very small with just the barns and a sand-filled lunge ring but towards the end of this month they are installing a horse walker and later extending the fence line to put in a dressage arena and Jumps which should make a world of difference to keeping the horses fit.
I took all the horses temperatures (we do that daily to monitor any change which would imply some sort of virus) then rode my horses with the help of the grooms- I almost think they would rather i didn't interfere with their job. Its hard for them to see a white girl doing the same work as them!

Anywho... Yesterday ended up with a few drinks and a bite to eat at Peddlars with Denzil and an early night for poor me who was still suffering from Mondays exercise! Note to self- When unfit start SMALL!
And to end todays ramblings- an explanation of the title of this post- I HATE VALENTINES DAY BECAUSE THE ONLY ROSE I GOT MY FROM MYSELF FOR CHARITY!

ps.. must spend more time in the frozen food aisles of Woolworths!

Rainy Mondays

2008-02-12T05:35:00.000+11:00

Capetown is very well known for having the BEST weather in February- Well not today! Up until now, we've had endless sunshine, sea breezes and perfect temperatures. Today it rained and was chilly- not necessarily cold- and misty. It was actually quite nice for a change to wrap up.
Driving to work, the traffic also seemed to have adopted this Monday "Grey". What normally takes 20 minutes in the mornings took me nearly 40- and the queues started in very different place than usual. In fact the highlight of my morning was driving under a bridge at 10km per hour- I wouldn't normally notice because the traffic would be flowing- there was a graffiti sign saying "Good Morning Lemmings" it was the perfect description of how i felt and what i saw around me.
I noticed some interesting habits of my fellow lemmings. One guy was cruising along- in what had to be first gear- running his fingers through his hair and trimming bits that were a bit longer! Others chatting, text messaging, singing along to the radio and one woman even painting her nails whilst driving!
I suppose though, people spend so much time in traffic they have to leave home earlier so save small jobs to do whilst on the go. We truly have become THE generation of multi tasking!

This evening was the first day of Sophs and my new fitness program. We walked (and jogged briefly) for an 1h20mins along the promenade with the city on one side and the sea on the other, crashing into the rocks. It is a beautiful spot to exercise and there are an amazing number of people who all have the same idea.

I must say my body is aching shockingly but we intend to keep it up everyday- this week at least- and to do a little more everyday. Hopefully it will get easier! I would have stayed on for dinner but had to get home for a quick soak in the bath and out in time for the second episode of the new season of Greys Anatomy! Yes i have an addiction. Which funnily enough was the theme of the program tonight!

Anyway after an energetic day I must hit the hay pronto!

PS.. Stonefield have asked the Shipping Agents- for the horses- to write me a letter for home affairs! YAY, I get to spend more time with my new best friends. Although the did tell me- very loudly- that they wouldn't accept a letter, they want an air ticket! Wish me luck. Perhaps not tomorrow as i need time to prepare my patience, but Wednesday, hopefully we'll know my situation!

Oops

2008-02-11T03:03:00.000+11:00

Just in case you haven't tried it for yourself, I do not recommend drinking a whole bottle of vodka between two people, especially when its only diluted in 4 pint glasses of water and lime! That about sums up Friday night. Details are unnecessary.
So.... Saturday morning i dragged myself out of bed- Sophie's bed- and drove to the horses. Managed to ride 3 sets- one of the grooms helped me with the 4th-not sure how i actually pulled of the 3! Then by midday was on the beach in Camps Bay soaking up bennies! We had a fantastic afternoon by the sea- which i might add was so free-ee-ee-zing that my bones ached after only a few seconds, but felt amazing when i came out- and ended off with a bottle of hair dye finding its way into Soph's hands and onto my head! Photos shall follow shortly!

Now back to the powers that be and my visa! Still no word from Stonefield, (company I work for) re what to do about extending my visa. There are many options really- They could buy me a ticket to UK where i would be going with the horses anyway, therefore giving my an outgoing ticket so i can go spend some more quality time with my friends at home affairs in hope that they don't yell at me again! Or come 1st of March, day before my current visa expires, I could buy my own one way ticket to either Australia or UK and find something else to do! I reckon if the can spend R100 000 a horse to fly them to UK- and thats 12 horses- they can afford one measly ticket for me.

Whatever I end up doing it has to involve plenty of exercise! I thought I had been doing well with my diet, until today when our Vet came passed and said that he hadn't noticed before but I ought to watch what i eat! (And slapped me on the bum! It was all i could do not to turn around and slap him!) Anyway, I shall take it as constructive criticism and let you all be witness on this day that if I develop an eating disorder the Doc is to blame! haha

Today was going to end with a picnic and a bottle of wine at Kirstenbosch watching some band playing but due to the rain it'll be a movie and and early night! (Probably much needed too!)

Just Briefly

2008-02-08T21:21:00.001+11:00

Its Lunch time and I have just popped home to have a shower. I am quite proud of myself, I rode four sets this morning, despite the fact that the grooms had to start late today as the key they use was locked in the office! Big oops there somewhere!
Anyway i used my little head and worked around the situation and all my lovely horses were worked and not one of them tied up today! This is a HUGE feat as for some reason they all kept cramping up just going for walks!
To top it all off it is a STUNNING day outside, though i still managed to get all sweaty and full of sand- Hence the shower!
Now with my stomach grumbling about it rations, ( The food in Argentina was a little too good, especially the 'Dulce de Leche') and the maid having taken ALL my jeans to wash, I HAVE to go to the mall to buy something to wear out tonight. How devastating right? While i am there I shall treat said stomach to a delicious smoothie and a wrap. Stomach content and diet still functional! Everybody's a winner! Oh, sorry apart from bank account but you know sacrifices have to be made!
Today Soph moves into her new apartment, which she is THRILLED about, so after work i will head over there to have a few inaugural drinks with her before we hit the town! After all it IS Friday night!
So wish me luck on my forced shopping expedition and i bid you all a "HAPPY FRIDAY!"

Unclear Signs

2008-02-08T06:02:00.000+11:00

Well i dare not even go into detail, but my best "Welcome to Africa" experience this week has to be visiting Home Affairs. After two hours standing in queues, getting to the front having to fill in more forms and starting at the back of the queue again, I EVENTUALLY managed to speak to someone who just yelled at me and told me not to be so stupid i cannot extend my visa without an outgoing ticket. I had a letter stating that i would be flying on a cargo plane with horses but he wouldn't accept it because it wasn't an itinerary from an airline. RRrrraaahhhhh!! I must admit he is right but there was no harm trying i just wish they could have told my that before i had to join the queue a second time round. Next stop the waterfront for lunch and a stiff drink!

Right so dilemma number one; i need an outgoing ticket in order to extend my visa in order to stay in Capetown in order to do my job!
Dilemma number two; I am a bridesmaid on the 12th of April in Australia! (i am currently in South Africa and going to Uk with horses in April)
Soooo.. i eventually, after Jane suggesting i should stand in the middle of a great big field and ask for more signs, i came up with a plan.
I fly to Australia for a week for the wedding and get back here in time to fly out with the horses on the 15th of April. Perfect ne? now all i need is my boss to agree and find someone to cover me for that week AND find a ticket. That way i have my outgoing ticket can go back to spend the day with home affairs and extend my visa!

Who knows what next, but all i know is that tomorrow is Friday- which mean nothing to me as far as work goes because horses still need to be fed and worked- but it does mean that i can go out with Sophia to celebrate her moving into her new apartment! YAY!

oh and just for the record i have 7 days to find a Valentine so i best put those hunting skills to work!

Settling in

2008-02-08T05:39:00.000+11:00

City life is something that I have never truly experienced (Aside from Buenos Aires but there is another story) I wake up every morning and prepare myself for the 5k drive that will take over 20 minutes not uncommonly 30 to the racetrack. It’s something that has become very therapeutic for me. I turn on my music wind down my windows and cruise. What is the rush really? Going to and from work is a big part of my day so I may as well enjoy it right? I am probably the most pleasant person you would want to meet in traffic (provided you aren’t behind me) I let everyone in when they are turning in front or trying to over take on the hard shoulder. I think that traffic jams were designed for me to perform my good deeds for the day and since I usually have about an 2 hours a day set aside for traffic I should have a hell of a lot of good karma headed my way!

I have taken up a new sport. I suppose it would fit into the hunting category now that I think about it. Everyday on my way home from work I stop at the local Woolworths. I know Pick and Pay is cheaper (and there isn’t a Spar or Checkers in my neighbourhood…lahdidah) Anyway Woolworths have some fantastic food. The best and most useful are their ready-made meals that you steam in the microwave which are perfectly healthy and so easy for a single person living on their own. Ooh and also their Jalapeno cashews cannot be missed. I think I was trying to get somewhere with this. Right I’m single, which still has something to do with hunting and Woolworths.

I have come up with the initial stages of this new sport;

Stage One; If I stand around long enough in the ready made meals aisle I could meet the bachelor of my dreams. I mean quite logically if they are single they too will be buying ready made meals for one which is a great conversation starter considering we are in Woolworths.

Stage Two; I then begin to shiver uncontrollably and say something like; “I wish I could decide what I wanted for dinner, these fridges are freezing.” From where He could now continue with; “I have a great idea since you and I are both so indecisive about which ready made meal for one we are going to buy, how about we go out for dinner instead?”

Stage Three; Can then be anything along the lines of when He says; “Lets get married and live in my mansion by the sea” or Repeat stages One and Two.

The rules of the sport are very flexible as far as conversation goes, so long as he mentions the words “Dinner”, “Mansion” and “Married”. And the location of course could be any where from Woolworths to a Bar or his Yacht sitting in port that I happen to be strolling passed and casually mention something about his boat being pretty which then leaves it wide open for him to say; “It’s a Yacht not a boat and how about I take you out in it sometime.” Which again, proving how flexible the rules are, can replace the word “Dinner.”

Anyway Grey’s Anatomy is about to start and there is a glass of merlot waiting for me with a small bowl of those delicious jalapeno cashews. Ciao.

Getting up to Speed

2008-02-08T05:12:00.000+11:00

July 07 I left my job of four yrs with Ellerston (a high goal polo team who play in UK and Australia)

I have spent the last 6 months trying to get a lot of things out of my system. I went to Sotogrande in the south of Spain and worked as a PA/Translator for an Australian Patron and his team.

I then went back to Oz for 10 days to pack up what was my life for the previous 4 yrs and set of to South Africa where I thought I would start a fresh. I lasted a month moving between friends and Relatives and caught the bug again, which had me flying off to Buenos Aires Argentina to watch the BEST

And most AMAZING polo in the world! I had the time of my life. Going out all night, watching polo all day

And doing nothing else! It was a fantastic way to spend my time after working an average of 7 days a week for four yrs!

I then came back to South Africa for a girly holiday with two of my great friends Laura and Jaimee.

We went to the Drakensberg, Visited my sister in Waterfall, Durban. Spent a night at Hluhluwe game reserve and I even jumped of a cliff at Oribi Gorge near the South Coast. We spent the last few days of our holiday in Plettenberg bay (yes another Polo destination)

The day before our flights back to the Land of Oz I accepted a job with an old friend of mine, taking some horses into quarantine in Capetown and then on to Uk for the season to rent sell buy play whatever comes first.

I am now in sunny sunny Capetown preparing the horses for a rainy rainy England! However the best part is we have at LEAST two months here first to make the most of the sunshine!

I arrived in Capetown on Thurs 24th Jan (08). My accommodation is a fantastic little one-bedroom cottage that is actually someone’s pool house. They are a great family and I look forward to getting to know my landlords!

The cottage is about 10 mins (20 with traffic and there's always traffic especially since we now live in the dark ages in South Africa) from Kenilworth Racetrack where the Quarantine station is. The stables are in Blocks of 8 and my 12 horses are divided into 2 sixes in two different barns. The barns are completely sealed with air-conditioning and two doors that only open one at a time (to keep them in or the bugs out HARD TO SAY!)

First Friday in Constantia (my area) around 6 pm I went to Peddlars, a Bar/Restaurant literally 2 mins up the road from me, to meet an old school friend, Denzil Vlamming, for a couple of drinks and to catch up. We haven't seen each other since 95/96 and suddenly it was after midnight and the staff we kicking us out! How we managed to drink beer and talk for 6 hours straight will have to research next time!

Saturday was the J&B Met horse racing at Kenilworth for which an apparent 55000 people showed. (And we the quarantine station right in the middle of the track were overwhelmed!)

I eventually grew some guts and wondered through the height fashion in my dirty jeans the t-shirt (c'mon guys I was working!!) I went over to the parade ring with my "Licensed Trainer" badge and seemed to fit right in (especially with my grubby jeans!)

I then met up with Cousin Candiss and her friends who know NOTHING about horses but then again the Met is all about fashion drinking and socialising and the horses are incidental to the event! Candz and I had a great time catching up and I even ran into (fancy this amongst 55000 ppl) Laura Innes!! Someone who I also haven't seen since 96 at school and used to go riding with!

Things have calmed down now the weekend is over but I am sure that once I get into my CT suburb lifestyle there will be plenty of adventures to enjoy!

History

2008-02-08T05:08:00.000+11:00

I was born in Zimbabwe on the 24th June 1982. Age the tender age of seven, I moved (with my Parents and two sisters) to Spain for 2 yrs which triggered of the travel bug that resulted in my being educated at 9 schools in 8 different countries (Zimbabwe, Spain, Argentina, South Africa, Thailand, El Salvador, Malaysia and England.)

Every few years we would pack up in search for something new and improved. (We are all still be looking!)

My eldest Sister Clare lives in England with her 6 yr old daughter Jessica and partner John. Clare is currently trying to finish of her PHD (something to do with sand particles and beaches!)

My middle sister Jane lives in South Africa with her Husband Sean, daughter Shannon and newborn Jordan. Jane is studying psychology and records her experiences as a mother in her Blog http://tankgirl77.blogspot.com/

Our Mother and Father are currently taking a gap year… yes you heard me, Gap Year! Mums Blog http://geriatricgapper.blogspot.com/ is the only way to track their whereabouts!

I am now 25 yrs old have no idea where I am headed in life but

I sure hope it’s exciting! I spend the year moving from country to country with the Polo seasons and think it is about time I burnt my suitcase and tried to stay in one place for a while. Watch this space….